Workers’ compensation that protects you and your employee

The application is simple and takes less than 5 minutes. You’ll need:

• Your name and home address (where the employee works)
• Your Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) — Poppins typically registers for this within a few business days of your Poppins sign-up date. You can find it in your Poppins account under Settings > My Account.
• The type of employee (nanny, senior caregiver, housekeeper, etc.)
  Whether your employee is part-time or full-time
• Estimated annual wages (for states with payroll-based pricing)
• Nanny/Housekeeper polices will require a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) for any employee with driving duties. We can acquire for you if preferred.

You do not need your employee’s Social Security number or any medical information to get a quote.

Most Nanny and Houserkeeper quotes are generated instantly. Once you fill out the online application, you’ll see your pricing right away. The next step is to submit your file for underwriting approval/coverage to be placed. A confirmation or formal quote proposal is typically provided the next business day if all underwriting items have been received.

For Senior Caregivers, submit your quote request and application through the website, after payment authorization, Bhalu's underwriting team at RTSpecialty will review the application and will email an approval and work with you to complete payment process. This is typically provided the next business day if all underwriting items have been received.

One policy covers your entire household. Whether you have a nanny, a housekeeper, and a part-time babysitter, they’re all covered under a single policy. If an employee leaves and you hire a replacement, the new employee is automatically covered — you don’t need to purchase a new policy.

Premiums may vary based on state requirements, number of employees, and wages, so if your household staff changes, reach out to the Ryan Specialty team, who is Bhalu's underwriter, so adjustments can be made

If your employee leaves and you don’t plan to hire a replacement, contact the Bhalu team and they can cancel your policy. You’ll receive a prorated refund for the unused portion of your policy term.
If you’re planning to hire someone new, we recommend keeping your policy active. Your new employee will be covered from their first day — no changes needed on your end.

After your policy is accepted, you’ll receive your policy documents via email. You can also log in to your Bhalu Insurance account to view your policy details, check your coverage dates, and access your documents.
If you have any questions about your policy, contact the Bhalu support team or Clarke.white@rtspecialty.com and we’ll connect you with the right person.

Workers’ comp policies are issued on an annual basis, but you’re not locked in for the full year. If your summer nanny finishes in August, you can cancel the policy at that point and receive a prorated refund for the remaining months.
For example, if you purchase a policy in June and cancel in September, you’d only pay for the three months of coverage you used.

When you hire someone to work in your home, whether that’s a nanny, a senior caregiver, or a housekeeper — you become an employer. And as an employer, you take on liability for anything that happens to that person while they’re on the job.
If your employee is injured while working in your home, you could be personally responsible for their medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and lost wages — regardless of whether your state requires workers’ comp coverage. A single injury can easily cost $10,000 to $20,000 or more out of pocket.
Here’s a real scenario: a senior caregiver injured her back while helping her client out of the bathtub. Even though she was using proper technique, the injury required surgery and 12 weeks of recovery. The medical bills and lost wages totaled approximately $18,000. Because the employer had a workers’ comp policy, the insurance covered all of it. Without a policy, that family would have paid every dollar themselves — and potentially faced a lawsuit on top of it.
Workers’ comp protects both you and your employee. Your employee gets their medical bills covered and receives wage replacement while they recover. You get protection from personal liability and potential lawsuits. In most cases, employees who accept workers’ comp benefits forfeit their right to sue their employer — regardless of fault.
Even in states where workers’ comp isn’t technically required, the liability exposure doesn’t disappear. The coverage is there to protect you from a worst-case scenario that could be financially devastating. For most families, the cost of a policy is a fraction of what a single workplace injury could cost without one.

Workers’ compensation rates are set by your state’s regulatory authority — not by Bhalu, not by any insurance company. That means the rate you see from Bhalu Insurance is the same rate you’d see from any other carrier in your state. This is not like auto or homeowner’s insurance where shopping around gets you a better deal — the pricing is regulated.

How your premium is calculated depends on your state and the type of employee:

• Per-capita states (like New York): Your premium is a fixed annual amount based on whether your employee is part-time or full-time. The rate does not change based on how much you pay your employee.
• Payroll-based states (most states): Your premium is calculated as a percentage of your employee’s annual wages. The state sets the percentage (the “rate”), and it’s applied to your total payroll. So if you pay your caregiver $50,000/year, the premium will be higher than for someone earning $25,000/year.

Senior caregiver policies tend to be more expensive than nanny policies because the work involves higher-risk activities (lifting, bathing, transferring) and the associated claims costs are higher. This isn’t something we control — it’s reflected in the rate class the state assigns to that type of work.

If the price feels high, know that we’re actively working with carriers and state regulators to negotiate the most competitive rates possible for household employers.

Some homeowner’s insurance policies offer a workers’ comp rider, and in certain situations that can be a cost-effective option — particularly for nannies in states where per-capita pricing makes a standalone policy more expensive. Bhalu will always be transparent about that.​

That said, there are meaningful differences you should understand before going the homeowner’s route:

• Coverage limits: Homeowner’s riders typically cap coverage at around $100,000. A standalone workers’ comp policy through Bhalu provides full statutory limits with no cap — meaning if something serious happens, you’re fully covered no matter the cost.
• Senior caregivers beware: Many homeowner’s carriers will decline or cancel your rider once they discover your employee provides senior or elder care. Bhalu sees this regularly — families get a cancellation notice and have to scramble for coverage at the last minute, often at a significantly higher rate. If you have a senior caregiver, a standalone policy is the safer bet.
• Specialized support: The Bhalu team handles household employer workers’ comp exclusively — it’s all we do. Bhalu knows the state requirements, handles claims, and is available by phone. You’re not calling a general insurance 1-800 number.
• State agencies: Four states (Ohio, North Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming) require you to purchase workers’ comp directly from the state fund — Bhalu can’t help in those states. But for every other state, purchasing through Bhalu means you get one dedicated team handling everything, rather than navigating a state bureaucracy.
• Audit readiness: if you don’t purchase through Bhalu Insurance, you are subject to a physical audit by the agency to verify the working conditions. They will need to visit your workplace (home) and verify your coverage.

If you already have a homeowner’s rider and it’s working for you — especially for a nanny — there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you have a senior caregiver, if you want full coverage limits, or if you value having a specialist in your corner, we’re here to help.